Your Past 1: The Living Rose
by Eugena
Summary: Your Past Is Better Than Your Future: A few adventures across time streams reveal to the Tenth Doctor how much he should miss his past lives. #1, The Living Rose: New developments arise after "The Stone Rose."
1. Rose Thinks of the Past and the Present

Disclaimer: Dr Who and related characters are owned by BBC.

**Doctor Who:  
Your Past Is Better Than Your Future  
**_**A few adventures across time streams reveal to the Tenth Doctor how much he should miss his past lives.**_

**#1  
The Living Rose  
**By Eugena

Rated: M

New developments arise after "The Stone Rose"

**Chapter One:  
In which Rose Thinks of the Past and the Present**

With GENIE whisked off to his new home, Rose sat down in the chair by the console and reviewed her last few days. She'd never look at another statue the same way again. After all, she was one once. The possibility of losing The Doctor, however, was much worse.

She had long ago decided that he was more important than herself. Her thoughts drifted to The Stone Rose—Fortuna. The Doctor had a time machine, and he certainly didn't let her know how long it took him to become a master sculptor. He'd admitted to her when they first saw Fortuna that the sculptor was enamored with her appearance. Now, they both found out The Doctor was the sculptor. Was _he_ still enamored with her? He certainly made Fortuna very detailed—her bum, her broken fingernail.

She looked down to her right hand. She touched the ring. The Other Doctor came to mind. She saw him smile, and she smiled back.

"Daydreaming?" The Doctor asked when he saw her playing with the ring. Some days, he tried to avoid bringing up that past.

She turned to look at him, her smile dropping a bit. No human could tell how slight, but he could.

"You thought of everything," she said.

"I suppose I did. I needed you back—no paradoxes."

"Circular logic," she mused. "Still," she said as she stood up, there's one thing to discuss."

"Oh?"

"You kissed me."

He swallowed hard. "I did."

"Made a statue of me, kissed me, seems so...domestic."

He put up no objection as her lips met his.

"_I should make statues more often..."_


	2. The Doctor Causes a Paradox

Disclaimers, etc., see chapter one

**The Living Rose**

By Eugena

**Chapter Two:  
In which The Doctor Causes a Paradox**

He couldn't help but visit Fortuna again. He had to check the work schedules and pick a day that Mickey was off. He figured that he was with Jackie today. The two had formed their own family with Rose linking them. He hoped Jackie would find Mickey a new girlfried. Mickey had helped him a lot in the past. He tried not to forget that. Even Rickey the Idiot deserved to be happy with someone—just as long as it wasn't Rose.

Ironic how in so many ways Mickey had brought them together.

He looked at the statue again, remembering all the reasons he should make more statues:

Rose as Fortuna, Rose as Minerva, Rose as Venus...

Déjà vu hit him as he daydreamed. His mind began to panic. He was sure he got the date right, but was he was about to cause a paradox?

A man in a leather jacket walked past him, and he heard the man's thoughts clearly.

"_I asked for a test drive, and the TARDIS sends me to 2006? Not much of a test there."_

The man in the leather jacket stopped and turned around, his mind suddenly remembering seeing something out of the corner of his eye.

He gazed longingly at the statue, wanting to reach out and touch it. Several thoughts pressed in his mind.

The Tenth Doctor smiled. He remembered how he felt. He wanted the woman who was right there in front of him, but he kept putting up barriers between them.

Yet, he didn't remember today. Time isn't linear, but still...

"_It twists and turns,"_ the man in the leather jacket thought in response. He glanced at his next self.

The Tenth Doctor nodded to him and smiled. He was going to forget this day anyway.


	3. The Doctor Has a Drink with Himself

Disclaimers, etc., see chapter one

**The Living Rose**

By Eugena

**Chapter Three:  
In which The Doctor Has a Drink with Himself and Offers a Proposition**

"So which one are you?" the man in the leather jacket asked as the bartender poured him a drink.

"The next one," The Tenth Doctor said after the bartender left.

"Come back to see Rose?" Nine asked.

"Always."

An awkward moment passed between them. Nine began to wonder if Rose had died.

"She's my girlfriend now," Ten said and grinned as Nine's eyes widened.

"She left Rickey the Idiot?" Nine asked.

"She already did," Ten reminded him, "you just tried not to notice. For a Time Lord, you waste a lot of time."

"You didn't?"

"I did. It was Rose's idea—the domestics, not the waiting."

Nine nodded, suppressing his conflicted jealousy and happiness. Ten had all but said his relationship with Rose.

"She wanted you, too," Ten said. "Loved you so much. Even asked me to change back."

"You do fit into her pretty boys obsession."

"Your idea really. You wanted to get ahead of the competition."

"And how do you fare against the competition?"

"No one can challenge me, except you."

Nine's grin disappeared. "I can't get involved," he said quickly. "Not room for me in her life now. Besides, I'm you now."

Ten's hand grasped Nine's arm. Nine felt Ten's masked jealousy and anger.

_Don't ever say that. There will always be room for you. You're the loudest voice in my head. The voice I tried to beat out when I regenerated, because I was afraid that I still loved her. She changed us—you'll find out soon enough._

Ten sent Nine a mental map of where to find his TARDIS. He told him Rose would be back soon.

"Opportunities rarely knock twice," Ten said.

"I asked her twice," Nine said.

"She'll always be worth it."

Nine nodded to Ten, a gesture of thanks for his permission.

Ten knew not to wait up for them.

_To be continued in __Your Past is Better than Your Future #2: Fortune's Child_


End file.
